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Marco Arment on Boycotting Amazon

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

That’s why I use Google search and Maps despite not liking Google much, why I still use Instagram and haven’t deleted my Facebook account despite not liking Facebook, why I still use Twitter heavily despite their many dick moves, and why I even recently bought a Samsung SSD because the alternatives weren’t competitive.

Boycotting is a tricky game. In a democratic and capitalist society, we vote with our wallets. If we're boycotting a physical store like Chic-Fil-A, the level of inconvenience is minimal; just go across the street to the next fast food joint.

If you boycott Hobby Lobby, things might get a bit trickier. How far would you have to go to find the same goods?

In the online space, boycotting to show a business your disapproval of their business practices isn't just a matter of convenience (typing in two separate urls takes the same amount of time and effort). It's also a matter of who has the best product. In some instances, there's a huge gap between first- and second-best.

Taking that into account, Marco Arment explains why he uses products, including Amazon, despite objecting to their business practices of late.